USN Hellcat colours - an unexpected query

[iainpeden]

I got the Eduard 1/48 Hellcat combo at Telford and am getting near to finishing one in the dark blue RN scheme. Having really enjoyed the build and having already done a Hobbyboss(craft?) one in the EDSG/Slate grey scheme I checked out available decals and decided on a 3-colour USN scheme for the second kit.

 

I assumed that this would be the well known dark blue/medium blue/white scheme, checked a few references (Navy Air Colours pt 1 by Squadron/Signal and the Warpaint book) as well as the obligatory internet searches and made sure I had a can of Halfords white primer for the underside.

 

Ordered the Printscale sheet 48-071 from a certain well known firm in Lowestoft and went back to finishing off the RN one.

 

The decals arrived this morning (48 hours from ordering - thanks Dave) and the 3-colour scheme specifies light gull gray as the underside colour. Now - it can't be 36440 as that didn't exist (with that label) until post war - but light gray rather than white has got me wondering. I know that early Hellcats were medium blue/light gray but had always thought the 3 colour scheme was white underneath.

The particular a/c is F6F-3 40467 (number 19) of FV-6 being flown off the USS Intepid in February 1944.

 

I'd appreciate thoughts on the white v. gray underside with the 3 colour scheme

 

Thanks.

[stevehnz]

Light gull gray doesn't sound right at all. The USN 3 colour scheme should have undersides of Insignia white which is not a true white but rather a light cream colour, the IPMS Stockholm mix for it includes a small portion of Ivory.

Steve.

Edited December 31, 2016 by stevehnz
include link

[iainpeden]

Thanks Steve - happy New Year , we still have 11 hours to wait!

[stevehnz]

2016 is so last year now. Hapy new Year to you & all Britmodellers Iain. Hoping on a better 2017 but not counting on it.

Steve.

Edited December 31, 2016 by stevehnz

[Dana Bell]

Hi Iain,

 

They (Printscale) simple made a mistake.  The scheme is actually four colors: Insignia White, Nonspecular Intermediate Blue, Semigloss Sea Blue atop the wings and stabilizers, and Nonspecular Sea Blue on the fuselage and wing and stabilizer leading edges.  The N/S Sea Blue was a slightly grayer color and (of course) not as glossy.  The two Sea Blues also faded at different rates, and the differences could be quite pronounced as the aircraft weathered.

 

Enjoy the build!

 

Cheers,

 

 

Dana

[iainpeden]

Thanks Dana

That gives me a chance to play around a bit with the 2 sea blues. It also, possibly, explains why sea blue paint from different manufaturers (of model paint) can look so different.

All the best

Iain

[Dana Bell]

Hi Ian,

 

I look forward to your results!

 

There are a couple of other reasons the model paint manufacturers have had problems matching the Sea Blues.  Most are working from the FS595 chips, which never accurately matched all three versions of the wartime colors.  The other problem is that the formula for ANA 623 Glossy Sea Blue changed in 1947/48.  The original color faded to quickly and was replaced with more resilient pigments.  When the US Navy gave modelers the old stocks of ANA paint chips in the 1960s/70s, some of us got the 1944 card-stock chip of ANA 623, while others got the 1948 metal replacement chips.  I can well remember the arguments back then, arguments that arose because we were working from different standards!

 

Cheers,

 

 

Dana

[Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies]

We ended up matching ANA607 Non Specular Sea Blue and ANA623 Glossy Sea Blue to a US Navy monogram, sense checked with L*a*b* values provided by Nick Millman. Our existing ACUS07 colour was near perfect for ANA606 Semi-gloss Sea Blue, whilst FS15042 that is oft quoted as matching ANA623 Glossy Sea Blue didn't match any ANA wartime Sea Blues, so we made that as well. So now we have:

 

ACUS07 - ANA606 Semi-Gloss Sea Blue

ACUS08 - ANA608 Intermediate Blue

ACUS33 - ANA607 Non-Specular Sea Blue

ACUS34 - ANA623 Glossy Sea Blue

ACUS35 - FS15042 post war Gloss Sea Blue

 

as well as

 

ACUS37 - ANA601 Insignia White

 

and

ACUS39 - ANA605 Insignia Blue

[fewr9fkr9595]

Thats alot of blue!!! 

 

Got some hellcats in the stash so may put an order in with you guys 👍🏿

[Troy Smith]

I'm giving this a bump, as with the new 1/24th Airfix Hellcat due I'm sure it will be worth bookmarking.

 

Now just needs @Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies  is to work out the how much ANA623 a 1/24th Hellcat needs, and make the right size can   

 

[Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies]

Sales of ANA623 have been spectacular this weekend! I reckon 2 tins would do it if airbrushed. Gill and I were talking about this very thing! 

[Andre B]

Just wonder what Humbrol will do to make those two dark blue sades? Will Airfix keep upp holding hard to Humbrol colours? 

/André

[mjcorrea79]

On 12/31/2016 at 6:57 AM, Dana Bell said:

Hi Iain,

 

They (Printscale) simple made a mistake.  The scheme is actually four colors: Insignia White, Nonspecular Intermediate Blue, Semigloss Sea Blue atop the wings and stabilizers, and Nonspecular Sea Blue on the fuselage and wing and stabilizer leading edges.  The N/S Sea Blue was a slightly grayer color and (of course) not as glossy.  The two Sea Blues also faded at different rates, and the differences could be quite pronounced as the aircraft weathered.

 

Enjoy the build!

 

Cheers,

 

 

Dana

Hi Dana,

 

Was this four-color scheme using the Semigloss Sea Blue on the wings and stabs and the Nonspecular Sea Blue on the fuselage standard for all aircraft or just for the Hellcat? I'm building a F4U-1A Corsair and, judging from pictures, I'm not sure if the two different blues were used on the Corsair.

 

Thanks,

Marcos

[Troy Smith]

52 minutes ago, mjcorrea79 said:

Was this four-color scheme using the Semigloss Sea Blue on the wings and stabs and the Nonspecular Sea Blue on the fuselage standard for all aircraft or just for the Hellcat?

AFAIK, all aircraft.

see here for more on this topic

 

 

note the pattern aircraft is an Avenger.   Usually, it's very hard to see the difference in photos, and the difference in tone between ANA 606 and ANA 607 is small, but is there. (I have the Monogram US Navy book with paint chips)

 

this is a rarity which does show the difference, more difference here than the book chips BTW.

 

HTH

[Dana Bell]

 Hi Marcos,

 

I think the links that Troy provided have already answered your question.  In short, officially the scheme used four colors on almost all aircraft.  You'll find most of the variations on the fuselage - a very complicated topic on Corsairs.

 

The big exception was the rarely seen, overall glossy version of the graded scheme - all three colors used gloss paints.  I've found one confirmed example of that scheme, and it was on a Corsair...

 

Cheers,

 

 

Dana